


You'd Better Not Go Alone

by SecretWeaponSeven



Category: Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Super, Dragon Ball Z
Genre: AU, Friest in chapter two, Frit, M/M, Rare Pairings, Yamza - Freeform, Yamza comes in in chapter three, fantasy rather than sci fi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-26
Updated: 2021-02-03
Packaged: 2021-03-18 13:41:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 15,732
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28993083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SecretWeaponSeven/pseuds/SecretWeaponSeven
Summary: Frost has a plan... While he's nobility in name only, he's certain he'll be able to marry into the royal family of the Cold Kingdom and secure power and riches for not only himself, but also his lover, Hit.Prince Frieza is much smarter- and harder to fool- than they could have expected however, and has no interest in letting anyone use him for his title... he'd much rather spend his time with Yamcha, the strange, feral, ridiculously handsome criminal he finds in the woods one night.They're going to need to decide what's more important- stability and duty, or love?
Relationships: Frieza & Frost (Dragon Ball), Frieza/Frost (Dragon Ball), Frieza/Yamcha (Dragon Ball), Frost/Hit (Dragon Ball)
Comments: 13
Kudos: 14





	1. As the Light Dies

You’d Better Not Go Alone by SecretWeaponSeven

Chapter One: As the Light Dies

The castle stood tall and imposing atop a mountain- even at their considerable distance, the two travelers had a clear view. Hit (a tall and imposing presence in his own right) looked past the trees that surrounded them and stated, “We’re nearly there. Another two hours at this pace at the most.” 

On his back he was carrying a large bag, and sitting on top of it was a man half his size. “Thank goodness for that. These days on the road have been grating on my very last nerve,” Frost complained, stretching his arms, legs, and tail before jumping down and taking on an easy gait at his partner’s side. “If the shadows are anything to go by, it’s late…” 

Both of their clothing was in poor shape and covered in dust and grime. Souvenirs from a month of travel by foot, naturally. The smaller man pulled a pocket watch from one of the tattered pockets of his coat and squinted through the cloudy glass covering its hands. “Yes, nearly six in the evening. If my memory serves there’s a reasonably sized village near the base of the mountain, correct?” 

Hit nodded. “Yes, Frigid Town. It serves as the capital of the Cold Kingdom. We’ll be passing through there shortly.” 

“I think it would be pertinent to stay the night at a fine inn so that we’re at our best for our visit to the castle tomorrow,” the Icejin squinted through the trees at the distant building in question. “Our entire plan hinges on convincing the royals that I’m a man of their stature. We will rest, and get ourselves clean and change our clothing. I have my title, but that on it’s own won’t be enough… if ‘Lord Frost’ shows up at the castle looking like a dirty peasant then we won’t be able to persuade the king or one of the princes to even meet with me, much less take me as their husband.” 

The taller man acknowledged this with only the most subtle of nods. When it was clear he wasn’t going to say anything, Frost continued, “Once we’ve ingratiated me to the royal family all of our difficulties will be over at last! I’ll finally have the wealth and power fitting my noble heritage! Oh, just imagine it- clothing that isn’t decades out of style, eating whatever we please, having a large soft bed with silk sheets…” 

He paused after that, speeding up his walking pace ever so slightly so that he’d be a few steps in front of his partner. He didn’t want Hit to see the pain on his face. “Of course, you’ll be properly paid for your loyalty, and I’ll keep you on as my ‘personal staff’…” he forced a little smile and glanced back over his shoulder, meeting the taller man’s eyes for only a moment, “…nothing will change between us.” 

“I suppose I should count myself lucky,” Hit replied. He could see Frost’s tense posture and clenched fists…

Frost made himself chuckle and gave his tail an airy and dismissive curl. “You do me a great honor by staying at my side.” Words he meant wholeheartedly, but delivered with an intentional lightness in an attempt to hide the yearning in them. 

The various nonverbal cues were obvious to Hit’s keen eye. Talking about his emotions freely wasn’t something the taller man felt comfortable with. Instead, he preferred to express himself through his actions. Doing things this way made him feel far less vulnerable. He covered the distance between them with one long stride and gently wrapped his large arms around the smaller man’s shoulders, stilling him, and just held him close for a moment. Frost raised his own hands and let them rest on Hit’s forearms, then after a moment more turned to face him. The two men held one another’s gaze, and Frost smiled. 

“Anyway… I truly will never understand how I earned your loyalty, but I’m grateful for it.” 

He loved Hit. 

He loved him so much it completely shook his normally fearless personality. 

But love wasn’t all that beautiful- it also made things frustratingly complicated. After all, the only thing he had to offer was a title and his looks. Hit, on the other hand, was perfect- smart, strong, capable of anything, and ridiculously handsome… yet born a peasant. The useless title Frost was burdened with may have been one of his only redeeming features, but it was also the reason he could never openly be with the man he cared about more than anything. 

Hit knew Frost was troubled. The Icejin’s tendency to hide behind a bombastic outward personality and larger-than-life charm kept his complexities out of the public eye, but his companion knew him well enough to know he was a thinker, a man of more depth than he gave himself credit for. When he let all his guards down like this… 

He hated seeing him unhappy, so he sought to both distract and reassure him at the same time by leaning down and kissing him. 

It worked- despite feeling a powerful affection and attraction to Frost, he rarely initiated that sort of romantic physical contact. It simply wasn’t in his nature. Besides, when the two of them were in private Frost was a cuddler. Even without being one to start things he knew he’d get plenty of it from the Icejin. 

Frost smiled up at him. “That was exactly what I needed, thank you…” he glanced around and once he was confident they were still alone on this dirt road winding through the forest he took his companion’s hand in his own and kept walking. “We should be close to that village- let’s hurry!” 

\- - -

The capital was a fairly prosperous city, and had the duo not had other plans Frost wouldn’t have minded doing a bit of exploring. There was an open air market that was of particular interest to him- places like that were fun. They were always full of easy marks, and many times over the years he’d taken something from one stall and then smooth talked the staff of another into buying it from him for quite a lot more than it was worth. Not today though! They quickly located what seemed to be the nicest of the several inns near the town square and headed inside. 

There was a tavern on the ground floor, lit up by both a large fireplace and a large number of loud patrons. Frost sighed. “If any of this noise carries to our room we’ll go elsewhere.” He then approached the bar, ignoring the occasional stares and whispers from the rowdy crowd. They looked to be primarily human, although if smell was anything to go by there was at least one Saiyan present. He put on his most charming and friendly smile and stood near the end of the bar, waving down the landlord, a large, hairy human who was amicably chatting with his patrons. 

Hit knew well his role in this, and followed close behind, allowing his partner to do the talking. 

“Good evening,” Frost said, extending a hand, “am I speaking with the proprietor of this establishment?” 

“Yeah, that’s me-“ the man turned to Frost and nearly dropped the glasses he was carrying in his haste to drop to a knee and bow. “P-prince Frieza, what an honor, I didn’t expect you to ever grace my humble inn with your presence-“ 

A waitress rolled her eyes. “Dad, that’s not the prince.” 

He slowly looked back up, laughed nervously, and stood. “Sorry about that! We don’t get a lot of Icejin here, and well- I’m not trying to say all of your race look alike or anything! But you really do have quite the resemblance to the crown prince!” 

Frost shrugged, inwardly judging this man to be a fool but keeping his expression benevolent. “I’ll consider that a compliment, while I’ve yet to meet him personally, I hear the prince is quite the beauty.”

The human lowered his voice and chuckled. “Yeah, but between you and me he’s got a nasty personality, so that’s where the resemblance ends. That, and of course he’d never be seen dressed so, uh, humbly. Anyway, I’m glad you’re not him! Now, my name’s Mark, everyone calls me Mr. Satan, and this is my inn. Can I interest you in a drink?”

“Actually, my associate and I need a room for the night. What’s the best you have available?” 

Satan looked at him critically, then laughed. “Well, our largest suite is available, but it’s got the largest price tag too. Maybe you’d be more comfortable in one of my basic rooms?” 

Inwardly seething, Frost continued to smile. “Oh no, I’m not a fan of compromises when it comes to my comfort. We’ll take that large suite.” 

“I’m gonna be blunt with you, buddy,” Satan leaned over the counter. He probably thought he looked pretty intimidating, although it wasn’t having the desired effect on its target. “Some shabbily dressed, dirty out-of-towner comes in asking for my most expensive room? I’ll rent it to you, but you’re gonna have to pay in full up front as well as an extra hefty security deposit. Now, have you got the cash or are we wasting time here?” 

It was a good thing the Icejin was a pro at this. He continued to push down his annoyance. “I wouldn’t dream of arguing against such a reasonable request! A man must look after his livelihood, so I’m not at all offended,” he said, _very_ offended. “Now, as you’ve so astutely observed I am indeed from outside the borders of the Cold Kingdom- in fact, I haven’t had a chance to exchange for the local currency yet-“ 

“Then scram!” Satan thought that was the end of it and tried to walk away, but Frost’s tail swiftly caught his arm. “Huh?!” 

Despite the painful grip he now had on this obnoxious human the smaller man kept up his pleasant tone and expression. “Now, don’t jump to conclusions. I may not have the local currency but I think you’ll still be pleased to do business with me. I happen to be from the Frost Kingdom north of here, are you familiar with it?” He lowered his tail. 

Rubbing the newly bruised skin where he’d been grabbed, Satan nodded, the display of strength leaving with a delicious little bit of fear in his eyes. “Yeah, of course. Mining is the big thing up there, right?” 

“Indeed, you’re quite knowledgable aren’t you?” Frost smirked, and pulled out a large, glittering piece of metal. “Plenty of resources are lay under our soil, including, of course, gold. I think this should more than cover a night here, the extra charges you decided to thrust upon us after judging by our appearance, and a little bonus for your trouble?” 

Greed quickly overcame the intimidation he was feeling moments earlier, and Satan snatched the precious material out of Frost’s open palm, inspected it, and once he deemed it legit he beamed at the Icejin. “Of course, of course! Videl, please show these two to our finest and get them anything they ask, anything at all!” 

When he turned around and opened a safe to place the gold inside, Frost discretely glanced over at Hit, who was still standing to the side, eyes shut, seemingly disinterested. He then looked back at the fool of a landlord, who in his haste to secure the safe didn’t notice that not only had the newly added gold vanished from within it, but several other items of value and a stack of cash as well. 

They followed their guide back behind the bar and up a flight of stairs, past several doors, then up another set of stairs. She unlocked a door at the top and handed them the key. “This work for you?” Videl asked. 

The room was large, with a fireplace nearly as big as the one in the tavern, windows overlooking the village, woods, and distant castle, and most importantly, a giant bed. “This should do,” Frost answered curtly, no longer feeling the need to keep up the charm now that they were getting what they wanted. “Bring us a bottle of your best white wine, and whatever the least nauseating thing your kitchen can cook for dinner, then leave them outside the door. Now make yourself scarce.” 

“Yes sir,” she answered with a bit of sarcasm coming through, and left. 

As soon as the door closed Frost heaved an overdramatic sigh and sat on a bench at the foot of the bed. “I’m so tired of wasting our time kissing up to these useless plebeians. That ‘Satan’ man having the nerve to look down on me when I have the strength and intellect of ten of him! Ugh! Once I’m royalty I’ll find an excuse to tear down his inn!” He sighed again, then straightened up. “But you were wonderful, as always. Let’s see your spoils.” 

Hit smiled a little as he emptied his pockets. Handing the large piece of gold back to its owner, he said, “it’s a wonder that hasn’t been worn smooth with as many times as we’ve passed it back and forth.” This was a frequently used strategy- Frost would charm their mark and offer to overpay, then Hit would take advantage of the mark’s distracted excitement and use his own abilities to retrieve the overpayment before they noticed it was gone. It was an easy con, but of course they couldn’t take advantage of it every time they wanted something without drawing suspicion. This was why they’d mostly been forced to camp outside on their journey to the castle. 

The smaller man took back the gold, the metal still slightly warm from being held in Hit’s pocket. He watched his partner kneel down at the fireplace and get it started, the room rapidly warming. He returned his eyes to the gold and the way the flickering fire played over it’s uneven and shiny surface. He was only half aware of a knock at the door, and it wasn’t until he heard Hit pull the cork out of the newly delivered bottle of wine that he left his introspection. 

“I was born doomed,” he said cheerfully as he put the gold back in his pocket. “Heir to the controlling interest in mineral mines that ran dry the year my egg was hatched. My family and most of our staff and people passing of disease and famine not long after I reached maturity. Why, if it wasn’t for two things I’d think I really was intended for naught but misery.” 

Hit sat down next to him, holding the tray with their food and the bottle on it. “Oh?” 

“Yes…” He leaned against the taller man’s chest, closing his eyes and smiling. “You’re the first, of course. Had our paths not crossed I’d be in a far more intolerable place.”

Instead of replying, Hit put one arm around Frost and they sat quietly for a moment. When the Icejin opened his eyes and leaned back, he added, “second of course is I still have my title. My land may be barren but at least it’s made me a baron!” He chuckled at his own pun. “I’ll leverage my useless nobility to our benefit with the royals tomorrow… I’ll have a proposal by the end of the week! Now let’s eat what will hopefully be our last meal like common folk!” 

The two ate their food and drank the wine, passing the bottle back and forth since the innkeeper’s daughter had neglected to bring glasses and they didn’t particularly want to deal with them again to request them. Once they were done they headed into the washroom.

Hit undressed Frost, placed his traveling clothes off to the side, and then undressed himself. Both men grabbed a towel and used the water provided to dampen it. “Ugh, it’s freezing… unbelievable, the things I’ve been forced to stoop to. My ancestors must be rolling in their graves!” Scrubbing many days worth of accumulated road dirt from his skin Frost added, “Of course, it will all be worth it if I can successfully convince one of the royal family to marry me. Then we’ll at last be living the life we deserve!” 

Every action of Hit’s carried a quick, deliberate precision- he’d finished bathing in the amount of time it had taken his traveling companion to air his complaints. He approached Frost and proceeded to help with his own washing up, his large hands rubbing the dust and grime of travel from the smaller man’s neck, shoulders, and arms. Despite the raw strength made obvious by his muscle (currently unhidden by clothing), his touch was gentle… even sensual. Frost leaned into it, and looked up when Hit spoke. 

“You’re… very focused on this plan. Is it really what you want?” 

“Such an odd question, especially now that we’ve nearly made it to the castle!” Frost purred, running his hands down Hit’s sides. “Of course I want this, more than anything.” 

“I see… then I will continue to aid in this goal.” 

Frost’s tail slid up and over Hit’s shoulders, and he used it to pull himself up to the significantly taller man’s level and look him in the eye. “I’m counting on it. There’s so little I can do without you…”

Their lips came together with an ease that comes only when two people are completely comfortable with each other. The kiss was loving, and comforting, and exciting all at once. 

Hit carried his partner to the bed, setting his strong and slender body down before joining him. It felt good, to be clean himself, laying on clean, soft bedding, the man he’d given himself fully to the service of laying in his arms. 

Frost stroked his partner’s jaw and neck. “No more dirty freezing cold nights on the road for us! Things will only get better from here… Now…” he lowered his gaze, as well as his tone of voice. “You’ve been working so hard to serve me. Let me return the favor.”

Under the sheets, his tail snaked up Hit’s leg and the tip of it delicately stroked the taller man’s crotch. He closed his eyes. For someone who prided himself on his ability to be detached and in control at all times, well… he knew his weakness, and it was in bed with him. 

That tail was ready to torment. The sensual touching as they cleaned up had already excited his body, so when that extra limb slowly twisted around Hit’s erection he had to bite his lip to stop himself from gasping. 

Frost watched, amused. He loved this, how somehow he could get such reactions out of someone as marvelous and incredible as his partner. He let his tail continue its work, and it wasn’t long before they were holding hands, Hit clenching Frost’s fingers tightly as he reached his release. 

The surge of affection the Icejin felt in his heart, this nervous, fragile, powerful softness… This was why he couldn’t let his plan fail. He’d do whatever it took to secure the hand of the king or one of the princes and finally be able to provide them both with the life they deserved. 

Panting, Hit threw his arms around his partner, pulling him close and kissing the top of his head. He held him like he’d never let go… he never wanted to. But he’d have to. Because he cared so much for Frost, he’d have to let him free, and have his dream of marrying into the royal family, even if the idea filled him with the most bitter and painful of jealousy. 

They fell asleep tangled in one another not long after. 

\- - - 

They both slept well, the soft bed a relief after many nights on the road. As they got dressed (the elegant silks and leathers a complete contrast to the threadbare, shabby outfits they’d been wearing previously) Frost asked, “ wouldn’t this would be a good time to refresh our memory regarding the royal family? Remind me of everything you know.” 

Hit nodded. “King Cold currently rules the Cold Kingdom. He’s been reclusive ever since the passing of his partner. It’s expected that he’ll formally step down any day now and pass leadership on to his younger son, Prince Frieza.”

“Cold would be my first choice. If I could marry him we’d be set, and he’s ancient, so I won’t have to put up with him much longer I’m sure. He wouldn’t be talking about succession if he didn’t think he’d be kicking the bucket sometime soon.” He smiled at his taller companion, “Or, maybe we could arrange for you to stage an ‘accident’ for him, old people fall all the time… even just fake that it was naturally his time to go. I know you could make such a thing look like an unforeseen tragedy and not a murder.” 

He shook his head. “The King is Icejin. He’s old but not frail.” 

“What, you think you couldn’t take him?” 

“Of course I could. But he’d struggle, which makes it much more difficult to make his death appear accidental.” 

“Well, we’ll have to cross that bridge when we come to it. Now, if he’s unreceptive I’ll of course try to ensnare the Crown Prince, Frieza. Tell me about him.” 

“The Crown Prince is not much older than you are. He has a reputation for being shrewd and is already taking on much of what would normally be the king’s role in terms of running the military. He’s immensely unpopular amongst his people.”

“Oh?”

“They think he doesn’t care about them.” 

Frost laughed. “Well! That makes two of us then! Maybe I’ll actually get along with this prince! For securing lasting power he’d be a great bet, although I’d be stuck with him for the long term… it would be much more suspicious for someone in the prime of his life like that to suddenly croak. Then, what about the other prince?” 

“Cold’s elder son, Prince Cooler has no interest in rule and apparently devotes most of his time to leisure. He has a reputation of being a playboy.” 

“He’d be my absolute last choice. I see no real benefit in just being the latest in a string of dalliances, and even if I can get him to commit to me, if we’re going through all this trouble to secure our position then I at least want a king- or future king- as my spouse.” 

Hit gave him a stern look. “Don’t write him off. According to my sources you’re his type.” 

“Yes, your ever reliable, ever mysterious sources… I would doubt this intelligence network of yours existed if I hadn’t been the beneficiary of its knowledge on so very many occasions. Anyway, in the absolute worst case scenario I’ll take him, don’t worry. We’ll get what we came for one way or another.” 

The finished getting dressed. Frost looked out the window at the castle, majestic and imposing atop the mountain just outside the village. He took a deep breath. “This is it. One last grand deception and then we’ll have a life of power, wealth, and comfort ahead of us. Are you ready?” 

Hit nodded, but noticed his partner still seemed hesitant. “Frost. This is what you want more than anything, correct? So put your iron will to it. No one is as stubborn as you.” 

The smaller man laughed. “You’re right of course! The royal family won’t know what hit them! Let’s go!” 

\- - - 

Home for the first time after over half a year at the front lines of a border dispute, the heir to the throne of the Cold Kingdom, Prince Frieza, brushed off the greetings of the palace’s staff and ordered Zarbon, his personal assistant, to make sure his things were delivered to his chambers and a bath drawn up. He then changed out of his traveling clothes and begrudgingly paid a visit to his father. His mood was sour, and that irritation increased as he entered the throne room and found his brother was there as well. 

King Cold was a massive person, both in terms of his physical stature and his overall presence. In his prime he’d been an incredible ruler… but time had faded him. Now he sat back, staring into space and sipping a glass of wine. He put little energy into sparing his favorite son a quick glance and perfunctory greeting. “Welcome home, Prince Frieza.” 

Frieza’s bow was similarly lacking in enthusiasm. He then acknowledged his brother with the briefest of nods. Cooler approached him. “Happy to see you finally made it back, brother. Captain Ginyu says the operation was a success and the border has been re-established in our favor- or at least that’s what he said when he and his men returned two months ago. Did you get lost on the way home?” 

He glared but didn’t say anything that would acknowledge the snub. “Anything of consequence happen while I was away?” 

“Yes, actually. Our kingdom’s subjects have been in an uproar. There has been an increase in incidents in the forest, and hardly a day passes without someone coming to us pleading for some manner of action.”

“The forest is a dangerous place, everyone knows that. Our people are just a bunch of whiny, lazy, infants who need their hands held at all times.” 

Cooler shook his head. “No, this is beyond the usual. For years it had been what, a disappearance or two a month? The occasional mutilated corpse found but mostly no trace? There’s been an incredible uptick, last month there were one hundred twenty reported unexplained disappearances and seventy five additional confirmed deaths.” 

“Are you certain of this?” 

“Of course I am, I’ve been the one left to deal with it while you took the scenic route home,” Cooler snapped. “And those numbers are just the ones that were reported and verified, who knows how many actual victims there have been?” 

Frieza crossed his arms and leaned back slightly, annoyed as always by the fact that he was the short one in the family. “And I assume you did something about this?” 

“I sent out a team to investigate.” 

“And?” 

“They never returned.” 

“And what did you do about _that?_ ” 

“I told you about it.” Cooler stepped past his brother and headed toward the door. “I’ll be leaving early tomorrow for a hunting trip in the highlands. I leave handling this to you.” 

Frieza heaved the most dramatic sigh possible and muttered, “of course… I’m the only one who can get anything done around here.” At least now that greeting his family was out of the way he could go enjoy his bath- 

Zarbon entered the room and bowed. “Your highness King Cold, Prince Frieza, there is a visitor. A landowner from up north, requesting an audience-“ 

“You’ve got to be kidding me-“ 

“Go attend to it, Prince,” Cold stated flatly before resuming staring at nothing. 

\- - - 

The main hall was impressive in size and architecture, and decorated with priceless antiques and tapestries. Frost gazed around, his fingers twitching with greed. “They’re loaded! I mean, of course they’re rich, but still! We made the right decision-“ 

“Someone’s coming,” Hit said sharply.

Frost immediately composed himself, and sure enough a moment later the servant who’d let them in returned, followed by a well dressed Icejin. “Is that one of the princes?” He asked quietly. Hit gave the slightest of nods. They both bowed. 

Zarbon spoke up. “Introducing his highness, crown prince of the Cold Kingdom, Prince Frieza.” 

The rumors regarding Prince Frieza’s looks were true… as were the ones about his personality. He glared at the newcomers. “And they are?” 

Staying in his appropriately respectful position, Hit announced, “introducing the Baron of the Frost Territory, Lord Frost.” 

Frieza rolled his eyes, but kept his tone even. “And why have you honored the capital with a visit, baron? And unannounced at such an early hour, no less?” 

Standing back up, Frost approached the prince. It was exceeding rare to come across other members of his race, so it was strange, looking at not only another Icejin, but one so similar in height and build… That said, Prince Frieza was unnervingly beautiful, and it took all of the baron’s years of practice to sound confident and in control when he spoke. “My prince, I apologize for the intrusion. It has been our intention to pay a social visit, and extend an invitation to strengthen relationships between my territory and the royal capital. Alas, on our way here we were attacked one night while camping in the forest, and lost our horses as well as the treasure we’d brought-“ 

“If memory serves the Frost Territory hasn’t paid its taxes for several years now,” Frieza cut in. “I assume the treasure you speak of was intended to cover that bill?” 

“Of course!” There was no treasure, or attack, but it was a believable story. Everyone knew the forest was dangerous at night. 

“And that gigantic servant of yours wasn’t able to protect your camp?” 

Frost glanced at Hit. “The attack occurred in the middle of the night while Hit was sleeping, once he awoke it was too late for anything but ensuring my own safety.” 

“I see…” 

Even for someone who considered himself a pro at reading other people it was a struggle to figure out what was going on behind the prince’s cold, red eyes. Frost hoped for the best, and pushed on. “Still, we humbly ask for several days of accommodations, and a chance to meet with you for a more extended talk on how my lands can be put to use for your benefit-“ 

“Zarbon, show them to guest rooms appropriate for their station. I’m going to take that bath.” 

“Wait, Prince! When will we be able to meet?” 

“I might be able to make time at some point within the next few days.” Frieza left the hall. Frost tried to follow him but Zarbon stepped in the way. 

“If you’ll follow me, I’ll lead you to our guest rooms.” 

\- - -

“He’ll be a difficult one, but I think I can sway him.” Frost paced back and forth in the room he’d been assigned for the duration of his stay. It was large, with a gigantic, soft bed and an equally oversized fireplace that made the ones at the inn the prior night seem downright pathetic in comparison. There was a door off to the side that led to a smaller room intended to be used by his ‘servant,’ but Hit instead joined Frost in the main chamber, leaning against the wall as his partner spoke. “He seemed completely unimpressed with us, but I’ll change that. I’m still confident in my schedule to be engaged by the end of the week, just you wait!” 

“Meet the king and the other prince before you make any certain decisions. I don’t think Frieza was interested in getting to know you.” 

“Obviously he wasn’t, but I’ve decided. It has to be him! I’ll marry the future king and then we’ll be set for life!” 

Hit opened his eyes and glared, immediately halting Frost’s pacing. “Why are you changing the plan at this point?” 

He shrugged defensively. “Oh, don’t look at me like that. I know there would still be benefits to prioritizing winning over the current king instead of the prince, but, well, you saw him. He’s gorgeous. If I’m partnering in the name of status then that’s a huge plus, isn’t it?” Hit didn’t respond, and Frost resumed pacing. After a moment more he exclaimed, “that’s it, I can’t leave this to chance. I’m going to go find him right now and work my charm! Take these and wait here.” He stripped off cloak then tossed it to the other man and ran out the room. 

Hit obeyed, and folded and put away the discarded outerwear then sat on the side of the massive bed and got comfortable. If Frost was planning what he thought he was planning it could take a while. 

End Chapter One: As the Light Dies

Author’s Note: This is a weird little thing. Early December I had a concept I absolutely fell in love with for an epic length plot heavy fantasy AU fic. Mid December I tested positive for covid and spent much of my quarantine writing, including churning out two and a half chapters of said AU fic. End of December I reread what I wrote and realized something horrible- most of it was unredeemably boring. Unsure how to fix it I axed the project, but like a zombie it refused to die and I tried to rework four scenes of varying lengths from the first chapter that I really liked into a no holds barred smut fic- that stunk too. So what did you just read? The final compromise- the same four scenes that I liked, and some extra to tie it into a complete story, expanded and made a bit naughtier- that part more so in subsequent chapters than in this one- and made into its own little self contained thing. Anyway, please enjoy the product of my stubbornness.


	2. One, Two...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frost attempts to seduce Frieza into agreeing to marry him, but the prince is more perceptive than he'd realized.

You’d Better Not Go Alone by SecretWeaponSeven

Chapter Two: One, Two…

For yet another sycophant trying his pitiful best to earn the crown’s favor Frost was at least slightly more entertaining than most. It was quite a novelty, finding another member of his species. 

But! His unwanted intrusion had delayed Prince Frieza’s bath, and that was unforgivable. 

By the time he was finally able to get to it the water was no longer his preferred temperature of literally boiling. Frieza relaxed in the massive, ornately decorated tub and wondered if it would be worth it to call Zarbon in and have him heat up more water…. Probably not. At this point he was done with other people for the day and it was still the morning. 

That baron was a strange one… Frieza had heard that the ruling family of the Frost Territory were also Icejin, so that part didn’t surprise him even if it did intrigue him. He’d also heard more interesting rumors- like that the young Lord Frost was the last of his family line, and that the gold and silver mines that had once made their territory rich had ran dry a generation prior. That was likely the explanation for their late taxes. It also probably explained his and his assistant’s attire. Frieza’s keen eye had immediately noticed that, while the fabrics were rich and beautifully sewn, they were old, out of fashion by at least ten years. 

Undoubtably this was the real reason for their visit… they wanted money from the capital. 

Everyone’s desires seemed to come down to that- money, or power, or protection. It was a large part of why the prince utterly loathed the populace he would soon be called upon to rule. 

Those same weaklings couldn’t even keep themselves safe in the forest. Having a large part of the kingdom have such a dangerous reputation didn’t exactly reflect well on the royal family, but it wasn’t through any fault of theirs. Surely the majority of the deaths and disappearances in those woods could have been prevented if these fools traveled with better navigation, or proper weapons to protect themselves? No, they just stumble out into a place known for danger and then scream out for their royalty to help them when the obvious happens. 

He leaned back and let himself almost fully submerge in the warm water. Exhaustion from his recent travels made his eyes heavy. Maybe after this he’d take a nap… 

\- the sound of the bathroom door opening had him sitting back up immediately. 

\- - - 

While the prince was having his introspection in the bath, Frost made his way down the hall. The castle was surprisingly light in staff… considering three Icejin lived here, perhaps they didn’t exactly need a ton of guards or security? The majority of the ones that did exist were busy with their tasks and easy to avoid. Safe in the knowledge no one was observing him, Frost took his time to mentally inventory the contents of the torchlit corridor. Ceremonial suits of armor, imported rugs, and other items of immense value were on display… he could probably nick a few of them without anyone noticing they were ever gone. 

The royal wing was simple enough to find, and he was able to easily slip past that tall pretty boy servant that had handled the introductions earlier and into this fanciest portion of the castle. From there it was a matter of carefully observing closed doors until he found his target. He leaned against them one by one and listened until he heard it- a faint splash. 

Perfect, this must be it. 

What he was about to do was bold, but as the saying goes, who does fortune favor? Frost hadn’t managed his years of defrauding his way into an illusion of continued prosperity by playing it safe! And if he could pull this off… 

He could finally be a man worthy of Hit’s affection. 

Frost delicately tried the doorknob, but it was locked. Hardly an issue. He kept concealed on his person at all times a set of sharps that could be utilized for a variety of nefarious purposes, and in less than a minute he had picked the lock. Likely could have defeated it in seconds if he wasn’t worrying about being quiet, as the mechanism was old and poorly designed to begin with. With a deep breath he opened the door and stepped inside. 

Frieza sat straight up in the bath, and he looked angry. “Just what do you think you’re doing?!” 

Shit… that was a royal presence alright, even without any outright threats being spoke Frost was momentarily frozen in fear. But he pushed on, forcing a casual and disarming tone of voice. He smiled and replied, “aren’t the best connections between men made in casual places like this? So I invited myself to join you. I’m sure you won’t mind…” He stripped out of his remaining clothing, careful for his motions and angles to be as appealing as possible. 

After all, Frieza may be beautiful, but Frost was confident in his own looks… he kept his body flawless, as it was one tool that even his territory’s poverty couldn’t take away from him. The prince said nothing, but he saw those cold eyes make a slow, appreciative pass over the lesser noble’s slender, yet muscular and toned, physique. 

It was incredibly obvious to Frieza that his uninvited guest was attempting to be seductive. This was hardly the first time someone had tried to win his favor with implied offers of sex, but it might be the first time it actually worked- he’d planned to show him the door, but now that he was naked and approaching the bath he no longer felt any urgency to kick him out. Perhaps it was the novelty of being in the company of another of his race that wasn’t a member of his family for once, or the simple fact that Frost’s body was quite nice, but he’d allow it for a little bit. 

“Fine then, I’ll respect your desire to speak in this unconventional setting.” He stood and offered an arm, ostensibly to help him safely into the slippery bathtub, but also to make sure the other man got a good look at his own body. 

Frost lost his composure again when the prince did so, droplets of water rolling down the flawless skin of his powerfully defined- and thick in all the right places- form. “Ah, you’re… unexpected,” he managed, and mentally slapped himself in the face as Frieza smirked. 

The younger man accepted his hand, and a moment later they were both sitting in the slowly cooling water. Frost fought to get his calm back, but he knew he was blushing. How ridiculous, he thought impossibly beautiful royalty didn’t exist outside of fairy tales. Prince Frieza was unreal… 

Frieza regarded the other with amusement. He was… cute… at the moment. And certainly physically attractive enough in general. But the prince didn’t like anyone who tried to manipulate him. “Well, you seemed to think we had much to discuss, so go on, Lord Frost, speak.” 

“Come now, no need to be so formal! I don’t mind if you drop my title,” Frost insisted, managing to speak with his usual poise at last even if he still felt his cheeks burn. “You may just call me Frost, if it so pleases you.” 

“Fine enough, Frost. But I don’t plan on extending the same familiarity to you, I sincerely hope you won’t forget it.” Frieza stretched all five of his limbs and leaned back, intentionally showing off a bit more. 

“Of course, Prince Frieza, I wouldn’t dream of taking anything more than I’ve earned. You are, after all, my future king,” the very fact that he couldn’t tear his eyes away from the older man was a surprise… it had been clear from the first time he saw him that Frieza was stunning, but to see him like this… the only other man who’d ever been able to leave Frost this captivated was Hit.

“Enough pleasantries. What are you trying to accomplish with this?” Frieza asked, gesturing between them. Feeling fully back in control of himself, Frost smiled and moved so that he was kneeling between the prince’s outstretched legs, then bowed his head reverentially. Time to make his move.

“My dear prince, I am trying to make a statement of loyalty and devotion such as you’ll never forget or doubt, that is all.” He leaned in, placing one hand on the edge of the tub on either side of Frieza’s shoulders. The prince looked between the arms on either side of him, then up at Frost’s face, his expression questioning but lips silent. Time for plan number one- “Surely you’ve noticed what a uniquely handsome couple the two of us would make? I’m from a good family line, and I’m sure the king expects you to have someone worthy at your side when you inherit the crown. Not only are we both nobility, we’re both Icejin, and there’s so few of us left…” he moved closer, the water rippling between their chests. He lowered his voice. “You could do far worse in choosing your partner than choosing me.” 

“I see…” Frieza raised a finger and gently traced it up the other man’s neck and under his chin. “You think I’m currently searching for a husband, and that I should give you that honor.” 

“Oh, well, yes…” they were both so close now, their lips were nearly touching. 

An appropriate match? Frost gave himself too much credit. He was half way there with the title, of course, but still not someone fit to marry the great Prince Frieza! Surely he wasn’t quite the person his father would want to see him with… but not so completely improbable as to make a show of rebelling against the king’s heavy handed control over the prince’s life. 

No, Frost was just some annoyance, someone who felt entitled to the prince but would be neither dutifully appropriate or a powerful statement of independence. 

But he was an attractive annoyance. Frieza wondered if he was brave enough to cash the checks he was writing? “Shall I be honest with you?” 

There was something chilling in his tone of voice, but the younger man ignored it. “Please do.” 

Smiling, the prince stroked Frost’s cheek. “My dear Frost, I know your territory is no longer the land of riches it once was. You and your land are, to be blunt, destitute.” 

“T-that’s simply not true!” 

“But it is, isn’t it?” Frieza purred, his tail hooking around Frost’s. “I suppose you thought I’d be desperate enough to accept your proposal, then you’d live fat on the riches of the capital, hmm?” 

His plan more or less outed, Frost desperately attempted to switch gears. He had to find a way to make this work! After so many years of relying on Hit, just this once the other man was relying on him. He couldn’t give up here! 

Perhaps… perhaps the touching was prince’s way of signaling he was still open to that other possible avenue for earning his favor? Well, considering there seemed to be a mutual attraction, there were far worse ways to go about this. He’d known from the start it would be a possibility- that was a big part of why he’d approached at a time when he knew the prince would be naked. 

Time for plan two- Instead of answering Frieza’s question, he leaned forward, his body pinning the older Icejin’s back against the side of the bath. “There’s more to life than wealth. I can be of many uses to you, my prince.” 

He brought their lips together, and, facing no resistance, kissed him aggressively. 

Frieza laughed inwardly- just as he thought. If he couldn’t get to his head he’d try and get to his crotch… the prince decided he’d give in, but only a little. Frost was too attractive to completely turn down for a taste of physical fun, and more importantly, too manipulable to resist messing with! He allowed the kiss, but once they parted, he pushed him down to his neck. The other Icejin immediately turned his attentions there, kissing and sucking at it before moving to do his same to his shoulders and upper chest. 

It felt good… but he stayed calm. Frieza had considerable discipline, as was expected from a future monarch. Frost? Not so much. The younger man was practically panting at this point… He’d give him a little more encouragement. 

How much pleasure could he enjoy before that lesser noble made a complete fool of himself? 

Frost was convinced this was working. The prince was allowing his advances- they’d have some fun together, and then he’d be able to get the life he’d promised for himself and Hit. What could be more fortuitous than that? 

He felt the prince pulling their tails tighter together in a sensuous embrace and moaned despite his every intention not to. Sex with Hit was the best, of course, but feeling this level of intimacy with his own kind was a uniquely pleasurable thing in and of itself. Some deep, primal part of himself was responding to this in a complex way he couldn’t have previously anticipated. It felt more than good. It felt right. 

The older Icejin smirked at the obvious physical response Frost was having despite being the one to do all the work. He hadn’t planned to participate much more himself, but… 

Oh whatever. He slipped one hand through the warm water and lightly pressed a finger against Frost’s entrance. “You’re certainly enjoying this, aren’t you?” He asked mockingly. 

“I’m hardly the only one,” he replied, hating how collected the prince still appeared to be while he himself was an overstimulated mess after just a little bit of touching. 

“If you say so,” Frieza replied, pressing just slightly in with his fingertip and chuckling as the lesser noble writhed against it. “Oh, Frost, you’re so very entertaining. This isn’t helping your cause, you know.” 

Frost leaned against Frieza and embraced him, burying his face against the other’s neck, moving his hips to make it easier for the prince to keep touching. “I’d think the opposite,” he managed. “We’ll need to consummate our marriage. Aren’t you glad you’ve found someone you’re attracted to for that reason?” 

“You assume I’m attracted to you?” The prince teased, “Perhaps I’m just doing this because I’m bored…” he replaced his hand with his tail and continued to play with that particularly sensitive area. 

Leaning back just enough to be able to look the older man in the eye Frost smirked, “no need to lie, my prince. Your words and your actions don’t match at all…” he kissed him again, and stroked his own tail over Frieza’s pale legs, belly and chest… then back down and between his thighs. 

That was a dangerous area. If he wanted to stay in control he couldn’t allow himself to become visibly physically excited like the other man was. Frieza moved his leg to both block him and push him to the side of the bath in one smooth motion. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves…” 

He took another look at the younger Icejin. Nervous, hopeful, and most of all aroused- yes, Frost was incredibly cute at the moment. Maybe in another life he wouldn’t have minded doing this for real, but as is… The prince’s dislike of having to conform to the expectations of duty made him rebel against the idea of actually marrying anyone who proposed at their first meeting with claims of being a ‘suitable match!’ But even if he had no intention of marrying this fool he was deeply enjoying making this appealing man squirm. How much further? 

He placed his hands on Frost’s thighs and lowered his head under the water. He had no need to breathe, of course, so this could get interesting… 

Frost’s eyes went wide. This… the prince was going to…? 

…he’d been so ready when it was all touching and flirting, but now that it was about to go further than that… all he could think of was Hit. Even if he was doing this for him… what had previously felt right suddenly flipped. Reflexively he pulled away. 

Well, that was fun while it lasted. Prince Frieza sat back up, amused. He had a feeling this would be the limit. Would he have actually gone through with it if he hadn’t been stopped? Who knows. 

“W-wait,” Frost managed to sputter after an awkward second, “why rush this? Let’s have the wedding first!” 

Oh, he was hilarious. “Well Frost...” He placed his hands on the other’s shoulders and gave him his most charmingly sexy smile- “keep dreaming.” With a quick shove and a loud splash Frost found himself back on the other side of the bath and sputtering as a chuckling Frieza got out of the water, wrapped a towel around his infuriatingly attractive body, and left. 

Stunned for a moment, he let this happen, then pulled himself together and ran into the hallway after him, shouting, “Hear me, prince, we _will_ marry! I promise it!” 

It was only when he saw that same pretty boy servant staring at him that Frost remembered he was still very visibly physically aroused and, with as much dignity as he could manage, walked back into the bathroom and grabbed a towel. 

\- - - 

“The nerve of him! Oh, this isn’t even close to over! By the end of this week he’ll be begging me to marry him!” Frost ranted, back to pacing in the borrowed bedroom. After this had gone on long enough, Hit stood, approached him, and wrapped his large arms around the smaller man, pulling him close and stilling him instantly. 

“We’ll make a new plan. Getting angry doesn’t help anything.” 

Frost sighed, leaning against Hit’s powerful body. “You’re right. As always… That damned prince got me all worked up and excited…” he smiled up at his servant, “I trust you’ll help me with that, as usual?” 

Hit nodded, and with a little smile of his own pulled his lover in for a kiss. 

\- - - 

Back in his own chambers, Frieza sat at his desk, staring out the window at the morning’s light illuminating the forest. Frost was a funny one… had he really thought the crown prince would agree to such a proposal from someone like him? He was immensely attractive though… part of him was disappointed things hadn’t gotten a little hotter between them in the bathroom before he shut it down. 

Frost’s talk of what the king would want unfortunately brought the prince’s mind back to duty… ugh. Cold had told him explicitly that one of the many reasons he rather than Cooler would be heir to the throne was that he could trust him to form a proper political alliance when he married rather than to choose emotionally. Cold himself had married for love, and what did he have to show for it other than the shell of a man he’d became? 

The expectation that he’d marry the ‘right’ person was just another kingly duty that completely disinterested Frieza, but due to the circumstances of his birth he really had no choice in the matter. This damned castle felt so constraining… he wished he was back on the road, or leading his men in combat. Anywhere but here. 

Perhaps he should take a stroll to clear his head. He dressed himself, and after a moment’s reflection took two precautions- first, he willed himself back into a more suppressed state he called his ‘first form.’ While it dulled some of his natural abilities, it also greatly changed his appearance, and as such he made use of it when he wanted to go outside the palace walls without being recognized. Second, he grabbed a knife. It was a thing of beauty, with delicate golden inlay decorations, but its blade meant business. Unlike the idiots he was soon to rule over, he wasn’t about to go out near the forest without taking precautions. 

Even in this weaker form he was confident his fighting abilities were such to prevent anything lurking in those trees from laying a finger on him, but he liked the elegance of the knife. He could throw it and avoid getting the blood of any feral beasts on his fine clothes. 

On his way out Zarbon stopped him. “My prince, the king wishes to speak with you regarding your engagement-“ 

“My what?!” 

“Oh, you hadn’t discussed it with him yet? I apologize profusely for stealing your chance to share the big news about you and Lord Frost-“ 

Frieza shoved him aside with a growl and stomped his way to the throne room.

End Chapter Two: One, Two…

Author’s Note: I’m pretty sure there’s still some errors in this but since this isn’t a ‘serious’ project I don’t wanna spend forever editing it. Let me know if there’s anything big. 

As I mentioned in the prior chapter’s notes, this was put together from the leftovers of a canceled fic project. Certain things that might seem like they’re gonna get expanded were actually just foreshadowing for stuff from the bigger project. So if anyone is hoping to learn about King Cold’s doomed romance and resulting depression, uh. Sorry.


	3. The Dark Forest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After King Cold insists Frieza either accept Frost's proposal or marry the Saiyan prince, he escapes to the forest, where he has a run in with a ridiculously attractive wanted criminal... and a monster. 
> 
> Frost isn't about to let his meal ticket escape, though, so he and Hit follow...

You’d Better Not Go Alone by SecretWeaponSeven

Chapter Three: The Dark Forest 

Prince Frieza kicked the door to the throne room open with enough force to splinter it. King Cold barely looked up. “Calm down, prince-“ 

“I will not be calm! What’s this Zarbon was saying about my being engaged?!”

“Well, aren’t you? He says he overheard Lord Frost proclaiming you two would be married.”

“Oh, he asked. I turned him down, naturally-“ 

“You’ll do it.” 

Frieza physically recoiled at the thought. “What could you possibly mean by that?! I refuse, he’s barely even nobility and his motives are completely transparent! Surely you’re joking?” 

“You’ve turned down every other interested party, and while Lord Frost’s financial status is poor, he comes from a historically powerful line and more importantly, he’s of the same race as us-“

“Every potential husband or wife you’ve brought before me, including this one, has been beneath me-“

“Well of course, you’re a prince. By that logic you’ll only marry another- shall I reach out to King Vegeta? Actually, that may not be a bad idea. His son, Prince Vegeta, is-“ 

“You know damn well I’m not about to partner with one of those filthy disgusting monkeys!” 

Cold sighed heavily. “Why are you suddenly being so uncharacteristically difficult? You won’t be able to find an equal in terms of wealth or influence, but the younger Vegeta is at least royalty and thus your equal in rank, and Lord Frost is your equal in terms of powerful genetics-“ 

“Just because he’s Icejin doesn’t mean he’s my equal!” Frieza’s tail lashed against the floor, cracking the stone. 

“Find your self control, prince. Stop damaging things. I’m not sure why you’re being so stubborn about this- you’ve said for years you’d choose your partner logically. I’d like to retire, and I can’t pass the title of king on to you until this is settled.”

“That’s just a ridiculous old tradition, there’s nothing in our laws saying a prince has to be married before he can be crowned king.’”

“Traditions are traditions for a reason. Our citizens are already upset enough about the escalation of the situation in the forest. I’m not adding fuel to that fire by suddenly turning our backs on how things have always been done.” 

“I simply am not doing it-“ 

Cold stood up and for the briefest of moments he regained the intensity he’d lost years ago. “I’m long passed ready to retire, and that means you ARE doing it, Frieza! Or was I wrong to designate you as my heir?” 

The idea of Cooler becoming king… ugh! He’d lord his power over his sibling every chance he had! But Frieza also hated the idea of being married off to fulfill some vague obligation of duty. He knew he was more than capable of ruling on his own, and even if the job itself didn’t particularly interest him outside of leading their nations military in combat, it was still his right as the more capable prince! This was just another way the castle sought to control him.

A brilliant idea came to him, and he forced himself to calm his countenance and smiled politely at the king. “I apologize for acting so irrationally. It’s only out of concern for the kingdom that I’m in no rush to marry- how would it look to our subjects if we royals were throwing ourselves a grand party in the form of my wedding while this business of violence in the forest was unresolved? Please, allow me some time to investigate on my own, and once things are peaceful again I’ll happily accept my duty of marrying one of the suitable candidates.” 

“That is acceptable.” King Cold sat back down, the brief fire he’d shown moments prior replaced by his usual flat affect. 

It wasn’t that Frieza wanted to marry for love or anything silly like that, he just refused to partner with, and thus make himself equal to, anyone as beneath him as someone who was barely nobility or some repulsive Saiyan ape. This would buy him some time, and get him out of this suffocating castle and back out in the field having an adventure… And maybe he’d get lucky and Cold would finally drink himself to death and Frieza would become king by default. That or the old fool would wise up and see Frieza was more than strong and smart enough to rule without someone at his side. “I’ll depart immediately, and take Captain Ginyu and his team with me-“

“Cooler already stated he’ll be taking them as his escorts for a hunting trip this afternoon. They likely won’t be back until tomorrow, or later.” 

“He has his own men for that!” Frieza rolled his eyes. “Fine then. I’ll do some preliminary scouting of the forest directly around the castle today and then tomorrow the full excursion will be launched once my brother brings back my staff members.” 

Cold nodded, sagging back into his throne. 

\- - - 

It didn’t take the prince long to get ready- he’d already been planning on going for a walk, so he just slipped a few more items into his bag in preparation for being out for several hours longer than originally intended, such as water, basic first aid supplies, and the like. 

He didn’t expect to actually accomplish much on this short day trip into the woods, but the idea of staying in the palace, with his pushy father, obnoxious guests, and that traitor Zarbon who’d told Cold about Frost’s efforts was simply unbearable to him at the moment. 

With that he slipped out the back (he didn’t want to risk running into Frost again) and into the warm air of mid day. He quickly crossed the beautifully maintained lawns of his home and out into the trees. The forest was alive with the singing of insects and cries of various birds. He’d worn a cloak to protect his finery from the dust and dirt of travel, but quickly came to regret the decision as it caught on branches and brush from time to time. 

Frieza wandered down a familiar path for a long while, the shadows lengthening as the afternoon gave way to dusk and the moon began to rise above the trees, lost in thought. He wound up going far deeper into the woods than he’d originally intended, but as he was in no hurry to return the prince just kept going. Having grown up in kingdom surrounded by the forest he’d spent many an hour both in day and by night here, and was certain both his brother and their subjects were exaggerating. Nothing had changed in the time he’d been away- 

Suddenly the woods were completely quiet. The prince’s hand gripped the hilt of his knife and he quickly backed up against a large tree and waited. There was a sound in the distance- something moving swiftly through the trees, something massive! 

An impossibly loud roar… then silence. Holding his weapon steady Frieza crept toward where he heard that inhuman noise. If he could track it, then he could take down whatever monster he’d heard. He’d drag it back home, then shove the carcass at Cold and Cooler as proof he’d taken the complaints of his people seriously and acted on them, and possibly get them back off his case for a bit. Of course, for purposes of continuing to delay his ‘engagement’ he’d have to ‘make sure there weren’t any more of them’ and continue with his original plan to stall for time. 

Whatever it was, he hoped it was as formidable as it sounded… nothing got his blood pumping quite like a chance to show off his natural aptitude for killing. 

After a few minutes of quietly walking he began to observe signs of trouble- smaller trees knocked down, plants crushed, branches snapped and rocks displaced. He must be getting close- he entered a clearing and observed someone laying motionless on the ground. The prince sighed. Time to add another to the forest’s recent death count. He walked over to take a cursory look at the corpse- like the majority of the residents of his kingdom it was a mammal, possibly human or one of those disgusting Saiyans. As he got closer it also became apparent that the victim wasn’t dead- while he was unconscious and covered in bloody scratches he was still breathing. 

Frieza lunged forward and pressed his blade against the man’s neck then lifted his lower body just enough to confirm he didn’t have a tail. Human then. He put his knife away. 

Well, now what? Carrying him safely back to civilization would be a real pain in the ass. Perhaps he’d just pretend he hadn’t seen him and head home. Either the unlucky human would awaken on his own or he’d wind up a feast for the monsters in the forest, either was of no real concern to the prince… 

He took one more look at the man as the last fading light of dusk illuminated his unconscious form. It was… actually kinda a shame to just leave him to die, as he was incredibly well built. In fact, he had a body that would put many of his own elite knights to shame. It was easy to admire his unusually nice physique due to his tattered, mostly shredded clothing . Maybe his own body was still a bit excited after his close contact with a flirtatious Frost earlier, but he didn’t stop himself from taking a look at what a large tear in the fabric of his pants showed was between the human’s legs- _that_ was unusual and impressive, as well. 

Long black hair, thick with dirt, dead leaves, and twigs, covered his face. Curious, he used his tail to push it out of the way- 

-the man’s eyes snapped open, he swatted the tail away, and scrambled to his feet, ignoring his near naked state as more of his ragged clothing fell to the forest floor. He held up his fists and growled, “Back off! Right now! Don’t make me force you to!” 

“Excuse me?! Who do you think you’re talking to?!” The prince demanded, advancing toward this increasingly suspicious man. 

The human lunged at him, but Frieza quickly sidestepped it. The other man’s reflexes were excellent though and he was back after him in less than a second throwing a punch that the prince dodged with unexpected difficulty. This mystery man clearly knew how to fight. 

Unfortunately for him, so did Frieza, and their differing species worked in his favor. With a flick of his tail he tripped his assailant, then pounced on top of him, kneeling over his chest while his tail restrained his arms. They locked eyes for a moment, and, finally getting a proper look at his face, he realized he recognized him- 

-he’d never forget this particular face. He’d seen it on quite a few ‘wanted’ posters, and each time assumed the artist had gone out of his way to make this scarred bandit look so handsome in his portrait. It turned out the art barely did him justice… much like his highly attractive body, his face was downright hot. 

“Let go of me and get out of here!” He spat, thrashing around as much as he could while pinned down. Well, now that he knew this was a criminal, he had a duty to do, so with a sigh he stopped holding himself in physically and transformed back into his true form. His captive watched, stunned. “W-wait, you’re the prince?!” 

“Indeed. And you’re Yamcha, the bandit. Under the authority of the leadership of the Cold Kingdom I am placing you under arrest. I advise you to come quietly… now that you know who I am you doubtless know how easily I could snap your neck and leave you out here to slowly-” 

“Shit… Look, prince, you gotta let me go and get away from me as quick as you can! Now that I know who you are I know I can’t intimidate you into leaving so all I can do is beg. Please, run to the castle and don’t look back!“ 

Frieza rolled his eyes and stood up but kept Yamcha’s wrists held securely with his tail. “Save it. I am planning on returning to my palace, but I’ll be bringing you with me. You’ll spend the night in the dungeon and I’ll turn you over to the capital’s sheriff in the morning.”

“If you say so, your highness…” he bowed, and for a moment Frieza was distracted as the torn fabric of his pants allowed another little glimpse at- 

Yamcha suddenly headbutted him hard in the stomach and took off running. The Prince was back after him in less than a second and slammed him against a tree, pinning him to the rough bark with his own smaller body. “Nice feint, but it won’t work again.” He took off his cloak and shoved it into the human criminal’s arms. “Now, when I step away you’re going to put this on, I’d prefer not to be seen dragging a naked man through the forest.” 

“Please, Prince Frieza, I don’t want to hurt you but if you stay here I won’t be able to control myself,” he gently placed his large hands on Frieza’s shoulders and tried to push him away, but the smaller man was stronger and wouldn’t budge.

“You’re a human aren’t you? Even if I dropped all my defenses and let you strike me with whatever your weapon of choice was you couldn’t so much as mar me with the faintest scratch.”

“I’m… I’m not human. Not anymore,” he tried to explain, his eyes darting around the tree line above them. 

“And that’s supposed to mean what exactly? It sounds to me like you’re stalling for time.”

“There are bad things in this forest,” he replied, shaking his head. “I used to think the stories were exaggerated, because back then they were! You said you know who I am, and you’re right, I’m Yamcha, former bandit. I used to hide out in these trees from time to time to escape the law, and one snowy night about half a year ago while on the lam I found what looked like an abandoned cottage. I broke in, and-“ 

Frieza lifted his knife back to Yamcha’s throat. “Does this tiresome story have a point other than wasting my time?” 

“Sorry, sorry! I’m getting there, geez! The cottage, it didn’t feel right but I didn’t want to go back out into the weather until morning, so I found the bedroom and planned to sleep. I saw this little golden statue of a wolf and figured I’d steal it, but the moment I picked it up…” he sighed, suddenly weary, “…something happened to me. I dropped it and… I lost my sense of reason when I looked out the window and saw the moon.” 

“Meaning what?” 

“I… I became some sort of monster. It’s happened every night and day that the moon’s been out since, with the transformation being strongest and my control over myself weakest during the full moon.” 

“The full moon?” He pressed the flat portion of the blade hard against the bandit’s neck. “It sounds an awful lot like the stories we’ve all heard about the Saiyans, and I _hate_ Saiyans. Are you so sure you’re a human and not some tailless mutant monkey?” 

“I told you, I’m not a human anymore, but I used to be! You aren’t listening to me at all! What I’m saying is, I’m a monster- I’m what’s been attacking your people in this forest!” 

Magic wasn’t unheard of but it was far from common, and Frieza had never heard of a curse quite like what Yamcha seemed to think had been placed on him. Maybe a werewolf was the closest thing? It still seemed made up. “Well, I’m standing by my original plan. You’ll be locked in the dungeon tonight. If you are a monster than that’s the safest thing for everyone anyway-“ 

“No, we can’t do that!” Yamcha sounded panicked. “Please prince, I already transformed once earlier today. The moon is full, so it will happen again at any time. We’re several hours on foot from the castle, I’ll kill you before we can get back-“ 

“Are you threatening me?!” 

“No, I’m warning you. I want you to be safe, so you must leave.” 

He wanted Frieza to be safe? Unlikely. There had to be an ulterior motive- there always was. He had never met anyone who didn’t want something from him, and he still wasn’t convinced this wasn’t some crazy story to try and scare him so that he could escape justice. “You say you already transformed this evening? Then why are you human now?” 

“If I can get a strong enough physical sensation to concentrate on it can break me out of it,” he gestured to a particularly deep and bloody cut on his arm. “Not sure how this happened since I have no memory, but the pain was bad enough it got through to the buried human part of my mind that this damned curse had been suppressing, and I was able to will myself back.” 

“If that’s all it takes…” the Icejin’s smile took on a sadistic edge, “this won’t be a problem at all. If you turn into a monster I’ll just hit you hard enough to snap you out of it. Now let’s go.” Ignoring Yamcha’s pleas, he used his tail in the place of handcuffs and started the long journey back to the castle. 

As they walked the human stayed silent… then strangely agitated. Frieza glanced back at him- Yamcha’s movements were odd. He seemed to be shaking slightly, staring at the tree branches above them with wide open eyes that seemed different from how they had when they spoke not long prior. His breathing had changed as well. 

Frieza stopped walking and started to speak, but froze. He’d meant to tell him to stop playing around, but he finally realized what the bandit had been so anxiously looking for above them. 

The full moon, bright in the clear night sky was finally visible through the canopy of the forest. It reflected in the human’s eyes- and then they weren’t human anymore. His teeth became fangs, and in less than a second he’d changed from a good looking man into some manner of large wild canine. 

The prince recoiled reflexively. “My… he wasn’t bluffing. He really is some sort of werewolf?!” 

The creature looked at him, then lunged, far faster than any wolf- or human- should have ever been capable of. He’d knocked the smaller man to the ground before Frieza had been able to get over his surprise. Shockingly, it took almost everything he had to throw the monster off of him and scramble to his feet. 

“He’s that strong? How can this be possible!?” Frieza asked himself. Yamcha was back at him in less than a second, and the prince cried out when the skin of the arm he’d used to block the former human from his neck with was torn open by those long fangs. 

SHIT. Sure he’d fought in combat on many occasions, as well as witnessed the strength of his family members and the kingdom’s elites like Captain Ginyu, but he’d never experienced anyone powerful enough to go toe to toe with him like this. It actually made him angry- some human, transformed into a cursed beast, dared to be nearly as strong as the great Prince Frieza?! But there was no time for being anything more than fleetingly mad about it when he was fighting for his life. 

With his injured arm as a painful distraction it took him longer to knock Yamcha back the third time he attacked. He had to end this quick. When the criminal was still human he’d shown him that wound on his arm and said a great pain had brought him back to his senses- there was a large cut on the monster’s front leg that appeared to be the same injury on the changed body. Frieza concentrated all of his immense strength into one decisive kick directly against that spot, and the beast howled in pain and staggered only a step more before falling to the ground. 

The fight was over as quickly as it had began, and with an equal swiftness the wolf became a man again. Yamcha laid still on the forest floor, his previously shredded clothes now almost completely gone. The cloak Frieza had loaned him was at least mostly spared, as it had fallen off during the transformation. He went over to collect it, and as he returned to the clearing he saw the taller man slowly sit up. 

“Prince Frieza?!” He leapt to his feet and looked around- and when he saw the Icejin he looked almost ready to cry with relief. “I- I can never remember what I do when I’m changed, but I can taste blood… I thought I’d murdered you!” 

“It takes a lot more than that to kill me,” Frieza replied crossly, politely averting his eyes from the human’s gorgeous, practically naked body and handing him back the cloak. 

As Yamcha pulled the fabric around himself, his eyes fell on the bloody bite wound on the smaller man’s arm. “I did that, didn’t I?” The prince readied himself to verbally attack, but to his absolute shock instead of gloating that he’d managed to injure someone so strong, the bandit just looked miserable. “I’m so sorry…” 

There was something so disarming in the way he acted. Frieza sighed and picked up his bag from where it had been thrown during the fight and pulled out some first aid supplies. “It’s nothing, but I’m going to clean it anyway so I don’t catch rabies. We should probably do the same to your own wounds, and then-“ 

Yamcha shook his head and took a step back. “No, we need to part ways immediately. Now that you know I wasn’t lying, don’t you care about your own safety here? Get as far away from me as you can before I lose myself again!” 

“I’ve seen your criminal history, Yamcha,” Frieza crossed his arms. “Quite a list of robberies, often aided by physical violence and in more than one case they ended in murder. Now tell me, why is it that you so suddenly care about the value of the lives of others? You may indeed be right that you’re a monster, but that doesn’t change the fact that I think you’re trying to talk your way out of a life in prison.” 

“It’s true… even before I was cursed I did some terrible things, but…” Yamcha sat down and leaned back against a tree, closing his eyes. “…I wasn’t alone that night when I broke into the cottage. Puar… my best friend and accomplice, he was with me too.” 

“I don’t recall ever seeing anything about an accomplice on your ‘wanted’ posters.” 

“Heh, you wouldn’t have. He… well, let’s say his unique talents helped him blend in a lot better than I did,” Yamcha smiled a little, but then his expression turned haunted again. “When I returned to my proper self again for the first time I saw what I did to him and I… I guess that’s what changed me. I never want anyone to feel this sort of awful loss.” He met Frieza’s eyes. “Everyone has someone that would miss them, including you. Now get away from me while you still can!” 

Would anyone miss him if he died here? With how famously unpopular he was amongst his subjects they certainly wouldn’t. His brother openly disliked him, and his father only acknowledged him when he could be a useful tool for the kingdom. Frost would miss his opportunity to become royalty, and Zarbon would miss his privileged life as the assistant to a prince, but that was about it. 

It was a good thing Frieza didn’t rely on the kindness of anyone, as he struggled to think of the last time anyone had shown it to him. Anyone other than Yamcha, perhaps, if he truly was worried about the prince’s safety… 

“What are you doing?” The human asked as the Icejin sat beside him.

“I told you, we’re cleaning our injuries. We’ll figure out everything else afterwards.” 

“But I could become the monster again at any time!” 

“Just keep your eyes on the ground and you won’t see the moon,” Frieza replied, roughly grabbing Yamcha’s injured arm and pouring a vial of clean water over it. The original cut was dirty with old half clotted blood and dirt, and additional bruising seemed to be forming around it from the kick it had received a few minutes prior.

“If it was that easy I’d just go inside and close the curtains!” Yamcha winced slightly as Frieza took some gauze and got to work. “Geez, are you always this aggressive or am I just lucky? Anyway, even right now I feel it, this restless need to see it. I’m already having to force it down, but soon it will get unbearable and I won’t be able to stop myself unless I have another physical sensation that’s stronger than it to concentrate on. I can’t keep you safe if you stay here.” 

“Any strong physical sensation works? Not just pain?” He couldn’t help but wonder if the man had ever tried masturbating to distract himself, but he was far too polite to ask. Instead he just smirked slightly as he finished tying the bandage and got to work on his own damaged arm. 

“Yeah, I think? It’s not about the pain in specific, it’s about having something that can cut past that feral part of my mind that’s trying to take over. The curse is strong, though,- especially during the full moon!- so there isn’t a lot that’s powerful enough to be able to work.” He gave Frieza a little smile, “Hey, I’ve heard the stories about how strong you are, but the fact that you were able to take the monster down? I’m seriously awed, I didn’t know that was possible!” 

He drank in the praise for a moment (and avoided mentioning it hadn’t been an easy battle) before asking, “if it takes someone on my level to do so, then what happened earlier tonight before I found you?” 

Yamcha gingerly touched his bandaged arm. “I’d like to know myself. Can’t remember what happens when I’m transformed, after all. Might have just been a lucky accident- a particularly sharp rock at just the right angle or something?” 

“Ah yes, you’d mentioned that.” He looked at the taller man, thoughtful. “It’s a good thing you’re a wanted criminal from your time as a bandit. Locking you up seems to be the only way to keep the kingdom safe from you, but it would be inappropriate to do so for murders you can’t remember committing. Your prior criminal history solves that dilemma. I’ll kill two birds with one Death Beam.” 

“And I keep telling you, I’ll transform again and kill you before you can imprison me…” Yamcha sighed and closed his eyes. “I’m a menace… that’s why I keep telling you to leave before-“ 

“Stop being so pathetic and needlessly dramatic!” Frieza stood up. “I do not run from anyone or anything, and that includes you. Now let’s go, we have a lot of ground to cover.” 

“I refuse-“ Yamcha looked up at Frieza- and suddenly his eyes got that strange look to them again as he looked at the sky behind him.

Crap, the moon! He knelt down in front of the human and covered his eyes with his hands. “Get a hold of yourself, Yamcha!” 

“It’s… too late. Run while you can…” he whispered, his breathing changing and body beginning to shake slightly. 

“Haven’t I made it clear by this point that I’m not doing that?” Still, with as difficult as their prior fight had been, he wanted to avoid another, especially now with one arm partially incapacitated by the bite he’d received. “Concentrate, don’t give in to the monster!” 

“I…” he didn’t finish the sentence. Frieza smacked Yamcha’s wound and he cried out in pain- and for a moment seemed to regain himself. “Fuck, that hurt! But it worked… or…” his words trailed off, and he once again the physical signs of an impending transformation returned. He quickly stood up and continued staring at the moon. 

Frieza’s mind raced. He didn’t want Yamcha to become that beast again, but if he kept hitting him to distract him while he was human he’d probably eventually accidentally kill him. And he… he didn’t want to kill him. He actually kinda liked the guy- he was interesting, and his kindness was refreshing in it’s way… plus he was really, really good looking. 

He’d said it didn’t have to be pain though, right? Just a strong physical sensation to give him something to concentrate on? 

Leaping to his feet, the Prince grabbed Yamcha’s shoulders and demanded, “do I have your consent to do whatever it takes to help you stay human?”

He nodded just slightly before the last traces of reason faded from his eyes and he resumed staring at the sky. Frieza pulled him down to his level and kissed him hard. 

It seemed to work for a moment! He held the taller man’s lips and attention, but it wasn’t enough… this was delaying the change, but he still wasn’t speaking or showing other signs of being back to normal. This seemed to be the right track, but he needed something stronger than just a kiss.

Pushing Yamcha onto the ground then onto his back, he forcefully positioned him to be laying on top of the cloak then climbed onto him and brought their lips back together. He slid his hand between them and ripped away those final tiny fragments of clothing that still clung to the former bandit’s body. His fingers finally found their way between the human’s legs and encircled his dick. 

Mammals and their parts… Frieza was grateful his own body was more discrete about things. It didn’t take much more kissing and touching before Yamcha finally seemed to be coming back into his right mind. 

“Prince Frieza…?” 

The royal stayed on top of him but paused the motions of his hand. “I don’t mean to give the impression I’m one to do such vulgar things casually, but it seems to have worked just as well as harming you did, and I assume this was more pleasant for the both of us.” 

“Yeah… It worked… concentrating on you was surprisingly easy.” He was blushing, but despite his obvious embarrassment surprised the smaller man by pulling him close in a hug. “Thank you. But now I’m all the more convinced I don’t want to kill you, so please-“ 

Frieza decided he’d blame all of this on Frost for getting him excited earlier that day, or on his duty to protect his people by doing whatever it takes to neutralize a dangerous monster. Whatever excuse felt appropriate. “You won’t transform if I stay with you and keep you distracted…” his fingers returned to their prior position and action, “and I’m willing to do this, and more, to distract you all night.”

“Really?” Yamcha’s smile had something feral in it, but not because of the curse. Awe, and quite a bit of lust, too. “Well, this is a rare privilege.” 

“Indeed,” Frieza answered, sitting up so that he was straddling the human. “Now, how far are you willing to go to stay distracted from the moonlight?” 

“As far as I can,” he replied, his breathing different, but this time from arousal rather than the curse, “And I guess now that we’re doing this I should let you know that I think you’re ridiculously gorgeous, my prince.” 

“Oho ho, you’re far from hard to look at yourself!” He picked up a discarded strip of cloth- formally part of the bandit’s shirt. “But as much as you may be enjoying looking at me, for safety’s sake I’m blindfolding you.” 

“That’s kinda kinky,” Yamcha snickered, but allowed it. “Just make sure to keep me distracted or else I’ll rip it off!” 

“I don’t think that will be a problem.” Frieza removed his shirt, then took Yamcha’s hands and placed them on his torso. The human immediately began stroking his skin, seemingly entranced. 

“No wonder you were able to beat me… your body is, just… damn! Can I feel the rest of it?” 

“So forward! I’ll reward your boldness by letting you do far more than just touch…” He stood up, his tail taking over the task his fingers had previously been busy with, and removed his pants… 

\- - -   
While Frieza was venturing into the forest, Frost and Hit were scheming… 

Laying close in bed, the taller man asked his lover, “have you decided how to proceed?” 

Frost nodded. “The direct approach failed, so I’m going to act apologetic, reframe our visit as though that was only one of the many ideas I had on how to politically benefit him… and then play hard to get. I bet he’s the sort that gets whatever he wants so he’ll want what he can’t have.” 

“I’m not sure about that-“ 

The smaller man silenced him with a quick kiss. “Don’t you worry. I’ll make it work. I still intend to have the prince won over post haste.”

Not long after that Frost headed toward the castle’s great hall in hopes of locating his target. Despite his wanderings earlier, he quickly became lost, and sighed. He’d need to find a window to reorient himself- 

Footsteps behind him- hopefully someone who could give directions. He turned around, his friendliest and most charming smile on his face. Another Icejin? This one had be the older prince. He was surprised to see how tall he was after being so similar in stature to Frieza. He wasn’t particularly beautiful either, more handsome than anything, but Frost was hard to impress in that regard as he tended to compare every handsome man he meant unfavorably to Hit. 

Yes, Frieza was still his choice, the more desirable brother on all levels. It would be useful to have Cooler’s favor of course, so he kept smiling as he bowed deep and said, “well, unless I’m very much mistaken I’m honored by the presence of his highness Prince Cooler! What a pleasure to meet you.”

“You’re correct, but there’s no call for formalities between two Icejin.” Cooler let his eyes sweep over the newcomer. Had he realized their early visitor from that morning would be so cute he would have made a point of being the one to greet him instead of his brother. “Forgive me, but I don’t know your name?” 

“Lord Frost, Baron of the Frost Territory, but please feel free to call me just Frost,” he extended a hand, but instead of shaking it, Cooler took it in both of his of his larger ones and kissed it. 

Oh… right. Hit’s intel had said Cooler was a flirt… and that he went for men like Frost. He forced himself to keep smiling but pulled his hand back. “Ah, anyway, Prince Cooler-“ 

“Like I said, don’t be formal! Just Cooler is fine.” 

“Right then, Cooler, I’ve gotten a bit lost here as this is my first time in the castle, if you could direct me to the great hall I’d be much obliged.” 

“I’m headed that way myself, I’ll escort you.” The older prince offered his arm, and Frost reluctantly took it. “What brings you to the capital?” 

“I’m endeavoring to build a strong, mutually beneficial relationship between my territory and the capital by working directly with the crown prince and king.” 

“I’ll give you some advice, Frost. The king is pretty much checked out at this point, and Prince Frieza is a difficult, prideful, temperamental and violent man. If you want to make sure the capital shows your territory favor, I’m a lot easier - and more fun - to impress.” Frost realized a moment too late that he’d been led into an alcove off the main hall. 

“I’m not sure I follow what you’re implying but I should really keep moving, I’m still expecting to see the prince-“ 

Cooler slipped an arm over Frost’s shoulders and blocked his efforts to leave with his body. “Do you enjoy hunting? I’m quite good at it myself. I was getting ready for another trip today, just a few days. I could bring you with me.” 

Frost was so used to manipulating others through charm that he was completely out of his element now that he was on the receiving end of the same tactic. “No, actually, I’m not a fan of killing things that can’t fight back.” 

“You’re a pacifist? That’s adorable.” 

Frost shook his head. He was starting to get too irritated and flustered to keep up his polite act… “Not at all. There’s just no sport in shooting a deer from a safe distance. If I’m going to kill someone I’d prefer they at least understand what I’m doing and why I’m doing it so I can see the proper amount of fear in their eyes!” He pulled away. “Now, either help me find your brother, or give me directions to someone who can, if you please!” 

Cooler shrugged. “He went out a hour or so ago to do his own investigation in the forest-“ 

“Really?! That fool, if he goes looking for trouble out there then he’s going to get himself killed! Hit, let’s go find my future husband before he winds up disappearing!” 

Cooler awkwardly watched them leaving, wondering how he hadn’t noticed Hit’s presence- and how much of his flirting he’d seen. 

End Chapter Three: The Dark Forest

Author’s note: This chapter had a lot less recycled material from the canceled fic in it so it took a bit longer to get together. The Cooler scene could have been cut- he played a bigger role in the canceled fic but this is gonna be his only appearance here- but I left it in for sentimental reasons, as a piece of placeholder dialog it originally contained launched a bunch of jokes between me and one of my friends. 

ANYWAY the OTP finally comes in in this chapter! Yamcha was a more traditional werewolf in the original fic, and wasn’t aware he was one so the group gets a big surprise on the first full moon. Since this is the abbreviated version of the story the original plans for what was causing the conflict in the forest were tossed and I rewrote Yamcha with that in mind. 

Since this set of author’s notes is apparently just me talking about the canceled fic, I’ll add that Hit had a far more interesting role in that than just a support for Frost. More on that later so as not to spoil the tiny bit I’m keeping in this. Zarbon also had a larger role in that version- one of the things that made writing it difficult and lead to the boring prose that I canceled it for was I was struggling to handle such a large core cast. 

Come back next chapter- Frieza and Yamcha try to break the curse, Frost and Hit get desperate, and my most cursed crack ship makes a cameo appearance. 

ONE LAST THING. This fic is pretty low feedback, in part because I’m writing ships even less popular than my usual Yamza. If you read this know that comments and kudos are my fuel when I’m editing and make me excited that someone read my stuff. Thanks!


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